2014-12-29 An important petition I hope you will sign

1) Some of you did not receive last night’s update. On occasion there is a link that some servers won’t allow. Others throw the message in the junk file. I did resend it but if you did not receive it, you will be able to see if shortly on our website www.stopsmartmetersbc.com under “newsletters”. Sorry for this, but it is beyond my control.

2) URGENT: A petition has been written that is calling on IARC to increase the classification of wireless radiation to “1” which is a carcinogen, which research shows it to be. Please sign (the link is in the Dec. 21 statement below the summary) and forward to all of your contacts.

Bennett was on CKNW this morning, being interviewed by Mike Smith. Smith didn’t say a word about the smartmeter issue, just the Site C Dam. Then he took some calls but what a joke that was. Two lousy phone calls and that was the end of it. I at least tried to get on. But just so you know, CKNW has been using the same format for every government minister and Christy. They take two calls and that’s it. The show’s over.

I phoned their news room right after the show and was connected to the producer of the program. I told her that it was sheer tokenism and just a joke to take only two phone calls from the public to a government minister. She said she was sorry I didn’t like the show and to have a good holiday. More tokenism from someone who doesn’t give a s**t about the public. I think we should all phone in and make the same complaint after a similar show and you can’t get on the air. Old Bennett sounded worried at least.

5) Non-smeter (directly), but very revealing for those concerned about privacy of data.

A TED Talk. Alessandro Acquisti talks about privacy, social media and opt-outs from the dangers of the digital world.

6) We believe in democracy, and know that the government in British Columbia is trampling on our system. Listen to his brave journalist speak about what is happening in the Harper government, how Harper is dictating what will happen, how words are to be interpreted. This is what government is becoming and will become unless we stop it. We are a strong group of people fighting for our rights here in BC, and for this we should be extremely proud. We must continue to fight because if we don’t, our rights will be lost forever and a precedent will have been set. If we continue to work together, we can stop this program. We can show the citizens of BC that if we stand our ground and work together, we can beat a rogue government, even without the help of the opposition. Please listen to this and be encouraged.

I wrote you before with concerns about the “legacy” fees charged to those who are refusing a smart meter. To repeat, BC Hydro is charging $64.80 per meter reading ($32.40 per month) as directed by Energy Min. Bill Bennett, which is to cover meter reading and associated costs. This is the highest fee by far in North America, with the majority charging $5-10 per month.

According to the Utilities Commission Act BC Hydro is to treat all customers fairly and equitably. All customers receiving the same service are to be charged the same fee. Yet, according to BC Hydro’s admission to me, nearly 50,000 customers who have smart meters are receiving exactly the same service as those with “legacy” meters, but they are not being charged any additional fee.

What is even more egregious are the fees charged to those on equal payment plans. They receive only 1-2 meter readings a year, which results in their not knowing if they will be faced with a huge “adjustment” payment at the end of the year. They are being charged the same $32.40 per month despite receiving none of the services being provided to others for no fee.

BCUC has been precluded under the Clean Energy Act and Directive 4 from responding to objections. As a consequence, the 20,000 people who believe the smart meters to be harmful to their health, to their safety (fires have occurred), or privacy have no agency that is acting on their behalf.

The additional fees BC Hydro is receiving amount to $4 million per 10,000 customers annually or at least $8 million in the last 12 months. I would ask you to include these fees in your audit. The public deserves to know how these fees are being used, what they are subsidizing, and why they are 3-6.5 times the fees other utility companies are charging. Are there inefficiencies in Hydro driving these fees? Can they be justified?

I sincerely hope that you will include these issues in your audit. Should you wish any documentation to substantiate my statements I would be happy to provide them.

Sincerely,

Sharon Noble

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Sharon

Wishes for a healthy 2015, free of intimidation by Hydro and the government.